


In The Midst of a Nightmare

by JadeFlicker



Series: 10 Days of LawLu (In General) [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: #10daysoflawlu, 10 Days of LawLu 2016, All sorts of trauma, Angst, Because who doesn't in this series right, Character Study, Day 1, Dead Ace, First Impressions, For you and you and you, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I can't believe I forgot to add, M/M, Mention of Doflamingo, Mentions of surgery, Pre-Relationship, Trauma, Voice of All Things, vague suicidal thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 17:37:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6998107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeFlicker/pseuds/JadeFlicker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were hands. </p><p>That was Luffy’s first impression.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Midst of a Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> So for those interested and not in the know already, the 10 Days of LawLu 2016 started today (5/28/16) and will be going on until June. So this is my first submission. I sincerely hope all my fellow LawLu OTPer's enjoy!

_Live!_

_Live dammit!_

There were hands. 

That was Luffy’s first impression. 

A distant feel of cool, long fingered hands with a sure and determined touch. The press of those fingers and the exacting tightness of the firm grip spoke of a stubbornness of a similar flavor to Luffy’s own. However, there was a desperation in the barest and lightest scratches of the nails; barely there or felt.

_The world wants you to die! Fight them!_

_Don’t let them have the damn satisfaction!_

The voice was angrily desperate with hints of flashing rebelliousness, and dashed with a streak of defiance at some unseen entity at large. Not Death. Or not just Death, but at some demon of their own.

Later, he wouldn’t even consciously remember such things being spoken. Maybe they weren’t actually said at all. As it was, it barely registered. It was a tiny voice that rang just a bit clearer than the other messes of voices and noise and memories. The words only stood out slightly among the cacophony that could be from memories of war, the shouting of the people around him, or his entire world crashing layer by layer around him.

_The world dictated that your blood is dirty, but they do that to anything and anyone inconvenient to them._

_But that’s never seem to have stopped you before, has it._

_You who took even dictations of the most basic rules of society and shoved it back up their asses fist first. Or rather, face first._

_You wouldn’t even let that tell you what to do!_

_Don’t let it now!_

Ace…Ace…Oh Luffy wanted so badly to forget the sight, feel, and smell of his charred older brother, the blood on his hands turned black from the sheer viscous amount pouring out. He wanted to escape this reality. Wanted to deny a world that had rejected Ace. Wanted to get away from it by any means possible.

_Your enemy took your brother from you!_

A low, sinister laugh. Pink feathers. The glint of colored shades. A reaching, clawing hand.

_Killed him right in front of you!_

Darkness. Gunshots. A sore throat, bruised hands, but no sound. The moment of realization being that cursed laugh echoing even in his small, dark space. The moment of sound being the moment hope died, bringing forth a new wave of grief because he had lost even more.

_They burned him to death in front of you!_

A shining pearly white building, a towering castle right out of a fairy tale with arching gates. A little smiling girl with two pigtails holding out a snow cone with a big smile. 

A towering Inferno. White scales. Ashes.

_You were holding him as he bled out! As he breathed his last!_

Desperately grasping at and shaking bodies curled into each other. Red seeping into the white doctor's coats that swept around him his whole life. Desperate screams and horrified tears that could barely be seen through, begging the two people who had _always_ been there for him to _wakeupcomeback_. All guidance and protection and assured love gone. A world completely shattered like the glass on the floor of a now unfamiliar room. 

_You sat in a wasteland of death and were helpless to do anything in a conflict so much bigger than yourself!_

A nun’s face warped in despair and still flowing tears, hands clawing the wet dirt and cross necklace fallen to the ground. Around her was a field of small, unmoving lumps already starting to blend into the red, dead shade the rest of the world was becoming as it burned.

_If you die here…aaahh...if you die here…!!!_

It was a desperate voice. A crying voice. A mourning, lonely, defiant, frantic voice among the clamoring storm of other voices—both real and not—resonating violently in Luffy’s ears. One of many.

But it was that one part that made _that_ instinct of Luffy’s perk up in interest, if only barely while everything else writhed in the nightmare. The _almost_ animal instinct that could sense the unresolved, lingering pain and honed in on it. And the accompanying human side that wanted to maybe make the pain go away, maybe just wanted to stay by their side or bring them to his. Because if they weren’t alone, or at least know they weren’t alone, they would be happier right? 

And it worked to a certain degree. It worked for people in his crew. And it worked with Vivi, Coby, Chouchou, Apis, Laboon, Old Man Cricket, and so many people. Even the difficult ones. Even Sabo. Even _Ace_ —

_Father! Mother!_

_Lami!_

_CORA-SAN!_

_I refuse to die!_

That instinct picked up the voice. The rest of him latched on and resonated with that pain, because whoever it was felt like so many people he already loved and because this person _understood this world-wrecking pain._

It was a tiny that voice that rang just a bit clearer than the other messes of voices and noise and memories. The words only stood out slightly among the cacophony that could be from memories of war, the shouting of the people around him, or his entire world crashing layer by layer around him.

But for now, that little bit more was enough. 

_Live!_

_Live, Straw Hat-ya!_

And he did.

* * *

“Tooooraaaaoooo~!!!”

Law was in the middle of what Nami had jokingly called Law’s “bookie brooding time” when Luffy dropped in next to him quite literally from on the crow’s nest. If the other captain was surprised, he managed to hide it well. Not that Luffy cared because he just had his sudden serious thought for the week. It had been niggling at him lately since meeting up with the man at Punk Hazard, but it had only just occurred to the rubber man when he was watching his green-haired, cyclops swordsman snoring.

“Straw Hat-ya,” Law greeted cautiously. In the short time he had really gotten to know the maniac, he was already learned to be wary of every interaction. Especially when there was nothing else life-threatening or distracting in the immediate vicinity to divert Luffy’s attention. “What do you want?”

Luffy hummed as he unfolded from his crouching position and sat in his almost trademark tailor position, hands lightly gripping his own ankles as he lightly rocked back and forth. It was a nice, warm day today. These were the kinds of days that warmed Sunny’s wood and made everyone drowsy. Luffy himself had been pretty out of it; a bit dazed and sinking into headspace where he always seemed to hear the whisper of the sea or the creak of Sunny’s deck just that little bit more. Then he had his serious thought and he had to make sure of something with his new—first official!—pirate ally.

“Hmm, I never got to ask Torao myself,” Luffy shrugged. “Why did Torao save me?”

Law sighed in exasperation, clearly signaling that this was an annoyingly oft-asked question. “It was just a whim,” he grunted. “An impulse.”

Luffy mused over the answer briefly before nodding in understanding despite Law’s suspicious gaze, clearly thinking that the younger would insist on more. “Torao?”

“Straw Hat-ya?”

“When you were fixing me,” Luffy’s went up to lightly press on the large, knotted X-scar. “Were you saying something to me?”

The older man blinked, his eyebrows visibly raised even under his white hat. “Of course not,” Law replied incredulously at the strange question. “I’m not in the practice of conversing with my unconscious, near-death patients. Especially considering we had to have you on some of our strongest painkillers at the time. You were completely knocked out.”

“Really?” the younger D questioned, brows furrowed in trying to remember something. “I kinda remember you saying something to me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I was a bit busy saving your life.”

“Huh,” was the unhelpful response to an already confusing conversation. “But it sure sounded like Torao…”

“What was that?” now it was Law questioning as his body started turning towards Luffy, not having heard the last part.

“Shishishi, nothing~,” Luffy laughed as he waved away Law’s question. Grinning his usual wide, toothy, face-stretching grin at the other, Luffy hopped out of his seat and patted his straw hat to make sure it was in place. Grabbing Law’s stiff hands, Luffy grinned widely and toothily at the other. “Torao can read the boring book later! Let’s go find something to eat!”

“Straw Hat-ya, it’s an atlas of Dressrosa as well as Green Bit,” Law started, starting to pull his hand out of the rubbery captain’s grip. “Me being able to navigate the area is vital to our plans. I’ll eat later—”

“Just 30 minutes, come on come on!” aforementioned rubber captain wheedled childishly in his usual excited manner, already eagerly tugging Law along. “Then I promise to not bother Torao until he finishes his atlas-thingy.”

And if Law was a bit too stunned to resist, at least Luffy didn’t actually draw any notice or mention to it.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who wants to join the fun, find prompts for the 10 Days of LawLu here:
> 
> http://lawlu-week.tumblr.com/post/144242556617/lawlu-week-so-as-10-days-of-lawlu-is


End file.
